Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-12
BY THE WATERS OF PARADISE.
ny =. MARION CRAWFORD.
Author of MIR. "Isaacs,o "pr. ciaudlus." sc,

of their own choosing, utterly indifferent To-
the course they might take.
The tall windows of the room opened to
the level OF the ground upon the terrace at
the head OF the garden. Ii was in the end
OF July, and everything was open, tor the
weather WAS warm. As sat alone, ! heard
the unceasing plssh OF the great fountains,
and fell to thinking Of the Woman Of the
Water, l rose and went out into the suIl
night, aud sat down upon \ seat on the
terrace, between two gigantic Italian flower.
pots The sir was deliclOUsly sOlt aud
sweet with the smell OF the flowers, and
the garden was more con ngenial tn ue than the
house Some people always like running
water and the sound Of 1t at night though |
cannot tell why. | sat and listened / n the
gloom, for II was dark below, and the pale
moon had not yet climbed over the hills in
front Of me, though all the air above WAS
light with her rising beams Slowly the
white halo In the eastern sky asceuded in an
arch above the wooded Crests, making the
outline OF the mountain more intensely black
by contrast as though the head OF some great
white saint were rising from behind ascreen
in a vast cathedral, throwing misty Elorles
from below. louged to see the moou her
self, and | tried to reckon the seconds before
she must appear. Then she spraug up
quickly, and in a moment more hung round
and perfect in the sky, gaf'd at her aud
then at the floating spray OF the tall FOUNTAINS
and down at tue pools where the water lilies
were rocking softly In their sleep on the
velvet surface of the mOonllt water. Just
then a great swan nCated out silently into the
midst OF the basin, and wreathed his long
neck, catching the water in his bread bill and
scattering showers OF diamonds around him.
Suddenly, as ] gaEsd, something came be-
tween me and the light | lCoked up IL.
sanity. Betseen me sud the round disk 81
the moon rose q luminous face Of a woman,
with great strange eyes, aud u woman's
mouth full and SOFT but not smiling, hooded
In black, staring at me as | sat stI.I upon my
bench. She was close to me--so close that
could have touched her with my hand. But
i was transfxed and helpless. she stood
still for moment, but her expression did not
change Then she passed swiftly away, and
my hair stood up on my head, while the cold
breeze from her white dress was waited to
my temples as she moved. TIE moonlight,
shining through the tossing spray OF the
fountain, made traceries Of shadow on the
cleaning folds Of her garments, In an in
slant she was gone, and was alone.
was strangely shaken 10y the vision, aud
some time passed before ! could rise to my
feet, for Was still weak from my illuess,
and the sight had seen would hsNe startled
any one l did not reason with myself, Tor /
was certain that | had looked Ou the un-
earthly, and no argument could have de-
stroyed that belief At last l got up and
stood uustesdlly, gazing in the direction in
which l thought the figure had gone, but
there was nothing to be seen--nOthiug but
the board paths, the tall, dark evergreen
hedges, the tossing water Of the fountains
and thv smooth pool below. l fell back upon
my seat aud recalled the face l had seen.
Strange to say, now that the first impression
had passed, there WAS nothing startling in
the recollection on the contrary felt that
l was fascinated by the face, and would give
anything to see it again. ] could retrsce the
beautiful straight features, the long, dark
eyes and the wonderful mouth most exactly
in my mind, and when ! had reconstructed
every detail from memory knew that the
whole was beautiful, and that l should love
a woman with such face,
Il wonder whether she is the Woman Of
the Water ~ l said to myself Then rising
once more, ! wandered down the garden,
descending one short flight Of steps alter an
other, from terrace TO terrace by the ed ge Of
the marble basins, through tho shadow and
through the moonlight; aud l crossed the
water by the rustic bridge sDove the artificial
grotto, and climbed slowly up again To the
highest terrace by the other side. The air
seemed sweeter, and ! was very calm, 20
that think ] smiled to myself as / walked,
as though new happiness had come 10 me
The woman's face seemed always before me-
and the thought OF it gave me an unwonted
thrill OF pleasure, unlike anything ! had
ever felt before.
turned, as | reached the house. and
looked back upon the scene. Ii had certain
ly changed in the short hour slace | bad
come out and my mood had changed with
II. Just my luck, ! thought, 10 fan In love
with q ghost! But in Old times would
have sighed and gone to bed more -sL than
ever at such melancholy conclusion. To-
night felt happy, almost Tor this first time
| in my life. The gloomy old study seemed
| cheerful when | went in. The old pictures
| on the walls smiled at me aud l sat down in
| my deep chair with a new aud delightful
| sensation that | was not alone The idea OF
| having seen ghost and OF feeling much the
| better for 1t was 50 absurd that ! laughed
| softly as l took up one OF the books ! had
brought with me and began to read.
| That impression did not wear Cu. slept
| peacefully and in the morning threw open
| my windows TO the summer air aud looked
| down at tbs garden at the stretches OF green
| and at the Colored flower beds, at the CirCllng
| swallows and at the bright water.
"a man might make a paradise of this
| place, exclaimed--'a man ana q woman
| together ~
From that day the Old castle no longer
seemed gloomy, and | think | ceased 10 be
sad for some time, too, l began o take an
Interest In the place and to try and make II
more alive. avoided my old Welsh nurse
lest she should damp my humor with some
dismal prophecy and recall my Old self 10y
bringing memories OF my dismal childhood.
But what thought Of most was the ghOstl =
ngure ! had seen in the garden that tirst
| night alter my arrival. ! went out every
evening and wandered through the walks
and paths but, try As | might, I did not see
| my vision again. At last, after many days
the memory grew more faint, and my old
moody nature gradually overCsms the tenn
porary sense OF ligbtness / had experienced
The summer turned TO autumn and | grew
restless. 1t began to rain. The dampness
pervaded the gardens and the outer halls
smelIed musty, like tOmbs the gray SIX ' up,
pressed me intolerably. / LETT the place as il
was and went abroad, determined 70 try any,
thing which might possibly make a second
break in the mOnotOuous melancholy from
which suffered.
Most people would be struck by the utter
inslgnlhcance OF the small events which,
after the death OF my parents, influenced my
life and made me unhappy. The gruesoue
forebodings OF Welsh nurse, which CHANGED
10 DO realized by an odd coincidence OF
events should not seem enough TO change
the nature OF a child and to direct the bent OF
his character In after years. The little dlsap,
pointments of schoolbOy life and the some
what less childish ones of an eyentIul and
undistinguished academic career should not
have suthced to turn me cut at One-aud-
twenty years OF age melanchOIic, lisLless
liIer Some weakness Of my own Charagtsr
may have contributed to the result, but ia a
greater degree ii was due to my having a
reputation for bad luck. However, | Will
not try TO ana yze the causes OF my state, Tor
should satisfy nobody, least OF all myself,
Still less will | attempt to explain why felt
temporary revival OF my spirits alter my
adventure in the garden. 1t Is certain that /
| was in love with the face had seen aud IL at
longed to SEQ 1t again that gave up all
| nope oi second visitation, grew more sad
| than ever, packed up my traps aud finally
went abroad. But in my dreams / went
back to my home, and 1t always appeared to
me sunny and bright, as 1t had looked on
| that summers morning after had seen the
| woman by the fountain.
/ want paria I